

Think Well
Ryan Pauly
Training Christians to THINK WELL by curating conversations with Christian thinkers and giving a framework for engaging the culture with a biblical worldview.
Ryan Pauly has been working with students for over a decade as a teacher, missionary, and apologist. He is the Founder and President of Think Well, the Director of Immersive Experiences at MAVEN, and an Adjunct Professor of Theology and Apologetics at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. His work creating online content, teaching, and speaking around the country focuses on equipping Christians to confidently and compassionately engage some of the most difficult cultural issues with a biblical worldview. Ryan holds a B.A. in Theology and Youth Leadership from Vanguard University, an M.A. in Christian Apologetics from Biola University, and is a doctoral candidate in Practical Theology at Talbot School of Theology. His dissertation looks at apathy among Christian students and how the church can instill a passionate and lasting faith.
Ryan Pauly has been working with students for over a decade as a teacher, missionary, and apologist. He is the Founder and President of Think Well, the Director of Immersive Experiences at MAVEN, and an Adjunct Professor of Theology and Apologetics at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. His work creating online content, teaching, and speaking around the country focuses on equipping Christians to confidently and compassionately engage some of the most difficult cultural issues with a biblical worldview. Ryan holds a B.A. in Theology and Youth Leadership from Vanguard University, an M.A. in Christian Apologetics from Biola University, and is a doctoral candidate in Practical Theology at Talbot School of Theology. His dissertation looks at apathy among Christian students and how the church can instill a passionate and lasting faith.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 17, 2022 • 59min
Answering The Toughest Questions Students Ask (Alex McFarland)
Students ask some of the best and most difficult questions about God, the Bible, and the church. If left unanswered, they can turn into doubts and lead them away from Christianity. Alex and I will be addressing some of the toughest questions that students ask so that you can confidently respond the next time they come up.
Alex McFarland a Christian apologist, author, evangelist, religion and culture analyst, and advocate for biblical truth. He has preached in over 2,200 churches throughout North America and numerous more internationally. With a passion to communicate the message of Christ to a new generation, he co-hosts Exploring the Word on the American Family Radio Network, airing daily on nearly 200 radio stations across the U.S. Alex’s greatest passion is growing the Body of Christ and instructing Christians on how to stand strong in the face of ever-diminishing morals, ethics, and values. In the early 1990s, Alex pioneered the Truth for a New Generation Conference designed to equip teens and adults to know what they believe and defend their faith.

Jul 13, 2022 • 1h 2min
How Scripture Informs Our Cultural Engagement (Dr. Darrell Bock)
What does Scripture say about engaging those who do not share my faith? How do I participate in difficult conversations? How do I actually interact with someone whose ideas are different from mine? Cultural Intelligence uses Scripture and the example of Paul to put you in a better position to live with the pluralism we all face.
Dr. Darrell Bock is the executive director of cultural engagement and senior research professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. He is the author of over 40 books, including well-regarded commentaries on Luke and Acts and studies of the historical Jesus, and work in cultural engagement as host of the seminary's Table Podcasts.

Jul 8, 2022 • 1h 4min
Progressive vs Evangelical Views of Jesus & Christianity (Dr. Randal Rauser)
Randal Rauser recently wrote the book "Progressive Christians Love Jesus Too." I invited him on the show today to discuss how progressives and evangelicals view Jesus and Christianity differently. Is progressive Christianity another gospel or another religion? This friendly conversation will help you think well about those questions.
Randal Rauser is a systematic and analytic theologian of evangelical persuasion. He received his PhD at King's College, London. He is Professor of Historical Theology at Taylor Seminary where he has taught since 2003. He is the author of several books including "Is the Atheist my Neighbour?" (Wipf and Stock, 2015), "What on Earth do We Know About Heaven?" (Baker, 2013), the bestseller "Finding God in the Shack" (Biblica, 2009), "Theology in Search of Foundations" (Oxford, 2009) and "The Swedish Atheist, the Scuba Diver and Other Apologetic Rabbit Trails" (InterVarsity, 2012).

Jun 23, 2022 • 41min
Exciting Ministry Update & Upcoming Events/Interviews
I've been working hard behind the scenes on some exciting stuff, and today is the day that I'm going to tell you about it. There are also a lot of upcoming events and interviews that you won't want to miss.

Jun 4, 2022 • 1h 7min
Read Scripture Carefully & Ask The Right Questions To Avoid These 10 Common Mistakes
The Bible can be a difficult book to understand, and it is often argued about, but not all interpretations are correct. There are right and wrong interpretations, and it is the reader's job to figure out what Scripture actually means. Today's show will go over 10 common mistakes and how to correct them. I will also share my Bible reading strategies. I hope this show encourages you to dive into God's Word with excitement and joy!

May 21, 2022 • 1h 8min
There Must Be Sexual Boundaries, But Where's The Line?
"We can see how pedophilia, polygamy, etc have their issues. What is inherently so wrong about same-sex? What if all the other parameters of a same-sex couple are spot on with what Christians should be/do? Why would that criteria mess up everything?" I will address this question and more in today's show!

May 7, 2022 • 1h 11min
Why Christianity Isn't Just Guilt Trips and Pascal's Wager
I made a video back in 2020 titled "3 Reasons Why People Don't Believe in God." I received a comment offering 8 responses to my views. Today's show will be my thoughts on those 8 points.

Apr 28, 2022 • 1h 16min
3 Different Responses To "My Body, My Choice" (Josh Brahm)
What do you do when a pro-choice advocate grants that the unborn is a valuable human being but still believes that abortion should be allowed? This conversation will help you understand where pro-life and pro-choice people disagree and help you understand what is meant by "My body, my choice" so that you can respond more persuasively.

Apr 12, 2022 • 1h 3min
A Better Explanation for Complex Biochemical Systems (Dr. Fazale Rana)
If the universe is fit for life, and biochemical systems are fit for their role in life, is it possible that everything is "fit for a purpose"?
Biochemist Fazale “Fuz” Rana is VP of Research and Apologetics at Reasons to Believe, an organization dedicated to communicating the powerful scientific support for Christianity. His books include "Origins of life," "Who Was Adam?," "Creating Life in the Lab," "Humans 2.0," "Thinking about Evolution," and "Fit for a Purpose."

Apr 2, 2022 • 60min
How The Pro-Life Movement Supports Abortion-Vulnerable Women (Natasha Smith)
"So many pro-life individuals don't understand what makes an unplanned pregnancy difficult or the fear factors that can validate a woman's choice to abort. Likewise, few women know about the many resources that could empower them to choose life. These real stories can both inform the church about the need for pro-life expression and offer tangible ways to love our neighbors well through unplanned grace."
Natasha Smith serves as the Creative Projects Manager at Save the Storks where she supports the pro-life movement by telling stories through writing, video, and photography. Her academic background is in communications and biblical theology and is currently seeking a Masters in Old Testament from Denver Seminary. Her love for the pro-life cause is grounded in the understanding that all life has value because every life is created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27).


